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JMJ
February 2009 Issue 2.2

Quo Vadis Newsletter
The Trinity
Catholicism and Charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit ~By Peter Rowe
Catechism Quote of the Month
The Trinity and Scripture ~By Mary Clare Piecynski
Pope Quote of the Month
Did you know?
Book of the Month
Devotion of the Month

Catholicism and Charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit
By Peter Rowe

The Catholic Faith often has a reputation for being dry, ritualistic and very formal in worship. For this reason, “separated brethren”1 from Pentecostal and independent Charismatic backgrounds should be introduced to the position of the Catholic Church on charismatic gifts in the laity. The Catholic Church has never accepted that charismatic gifts have ended, in fact, led by sovereign Pontiffs since the charismatic renewal hit the Catholic Church the desire for gifts has definitively been accepted.  The purpose of this article, however, is to explain the role of charismatic gifts in general. It is not meant to be an apology for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. It must be remembered, through, that much of the spirituality in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal2 will enable charismatic and Pentecostal Christians to feel more at home in the Church.
The Glossary in the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a charism as, “A specific gift or grace of the Holy Spirit which or indirectly benefits the Church, given in order to help a person live out the Christian life, or to serve the common good in building up the Church.3” The Second Vatican Council teaches on charisms and the laity, “The Holy Spirit sanctifies the People of God through the ministry and the sacraments. However, for the exercise of the apostolate he gives the faithful special gifts besides (cf. 1 Corinthians 12: 7), “allotting them to each one as he wills” (1 Cor. 12: 11), so that each and all, putting at the service of others the grace received may be “as good stewards of God's varied gifts,” (1 Pet. 4: 10), for the building of the whole body in charity (cf. Eph. 4: 16). From the reception of these charisms, even the most ordinary ones, there arises for each of the faithful the right and duty of exercising them in the Church and in the world for the good of men and the development of the Church, of exercising them in the freedom of the Holy Spirit who “breathes where he wills” (Jn. 3: 8), and at the same time in communion with his brothers in Christ, and with his pastors especially. It is for the pastors to pass judgment on the authenticity and good use of these gifts, not certainly with a view to quenching the Spirit but to testing everything and keeping what is good (cf. 1 Th. 5: 12, 19, 21).”4
The reasons for the acceptance of charisms in the universal Church are manifold. I will begin with quoting the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Charisms are special gifts of the Holy Spirit which are bestowed on individuals for the good of others, the needs of the world, and in particular for the building of the Church. The discernment of charisms is the responsibility of the magisterium.5” It must be remembered that the Catechism teaches us that gifts such as miracles and tongues are “extraordinary.6” However, there are Catholic theologians who teach that charisms are normative and not a matter of private piety.7
I will discuss charisms first from the perspective of Scripture. Then I will review the Church Fathers and their teaching on charismatic gifts. Then I will briefly discuss the modern situation.  In the Acts of the Apostles,at Pentecost there are two charismatic gifts present. First, there is the miracle of tongues.8 Then there is the gift of preaching by St. Peter. At the Beautiful Gate, St. Peter gives the gift of the miraculous healing of the lame man.9There is the gift of tongues at the Gentile Pentecost in Acts 10. In Acts 18: 26 Priscilla and Aquila exercise the charism of teaching.  Acts 19: 6-7 says that when Paul laid his hands on Ephesian believers that they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Traditionally, this text is used as Biblical evidence for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Acts 19:11-12 speaks of the graces given through the Apostle. There are other texts in the book of  Acts on the outpouring of the Spirit.
Then there are the texts in the Pauline corpus. Romans 12: 3-8 speaks of charisms of prophecy, service, teaching (catechesis), exhortation, contributing, alms and mercy. 1 Corinthians 12-14 is a classic section of Scripture on the use of charismatic. Here, we encounter one of the most controversial gifts of the Holy Spirit: that of tongues. There are many interpretations of the gift of tongues in this section. My advice is that tongues has many different manifestations10. There are many other gifts here: healing, miracles, and prophecy. St. Paul teaches that while love should be our aim, we should desire the spiritual gifts.11 I want to emphasize that this is not out of a defense of the Charismatic Renewal.  The gifts I believe St. Paul is speaking about are primarily those that are not extraordinary, (remember par. 2003 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls tongues and miracles extraordinary). 
Ephesians 4 is the last section I will discuss on charismatic gifts, those regarding apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. A catechist should seek out the gift of teaching (catechesis is the teaching of the Faith). Pastors of the Church should ask for supernatural grace for the pastorate. Since Vatican II, there has become more frequently lay people and clergy who exercise the gift Evangelization.
In the pro-Charismatic landmark study, “Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries,” charismatic gifts in the Patristic era are discussed at length. It must be remembered that this book emphasizes the Charismatic experience known as the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit.” It does not pretend to be an extensive study on the nature of the charismatic gifts themselves; the understanding of the meaning of these texts is limited. For this reason I am going to quote as much as possible from the Fathers themselves in commentary on 1 Corinthians chapters. 12-14.
Charismatic gifts are found in the early Church Fathers.
In the first century, Pope St. Clement I wrote to the Corinthians: “Let our whole body, then, be preserved in Christ Jesus; and let every one be subject to his neighbour, according to the special gift bestowed on him.”12 St. Irenaeus witnesses, “For although the Spirit of the Saviour that is in Him “searcheth all things, even the deep things of God,” yet as to us “there are diversities of gifts, differences of administrations, and diversities of operations, and we, while upon the earth, as Paul also declares, “know in part, and prophesy in part.”13
St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “But there is a second kind of faith, which is given by Christ as a kind of grace. “For to one there is given through the Spirit a word of wisdom; but to another a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; and to another faith, in the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing.” This faith, then, which is given as a gift from the Spirit, is not solely doctrinal, but also, it performs works beyond the power of man. For whosoever has this faith shall say to the mountain, “Remove yourself yonder from this place,” and it shall remove itself. For whenever anyone says this according to faith, and believes that it will happen, and does not doubt in his heart, then he will be given the grace.”14
But by the era of St. John Chrysostom, the charismatic gifts stopped becoming frequently used among the laity. St. John states in his Homily on 1 Corinthians 12: “For as the Apostles themselves had received this sign first, so also the faithful went on receiving it, I mean, the gift of tongues; yet not this only but also many others: inasmuch as many used to even raise the dead and to cast out devils and to perform many other such wonders: and they had gifts too, some less, and some more. But more abundant than all was the gift tongues among them: and this became to them a cause of division; not from its own nature but from the perverseness of them that had received it: in that on the one had the possessors of the greater gifts were lifted up against the that had the lesser: and these again were grieved and envied the owners of the greater.”15 Chrysostom teaches: “...But the present Church is like a woman who hath fallen from her former prosperous days, and in many respects retains the symbols only of that ancient prosperity; displaying indeed the repositories and caskets of her g: such an olden ornaments, but bereft of her wealth: such an one the present Church resemble.”16 As time went on, the charisms slowly disappeared from common usage. As time went on, the charisms became “standardized.” By the end of the 8th century, charisms were predominately found in the Monastic communities. 
It was not until the advent of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in 1967 that the laity in any large numbers sought and/or manifested the charisms found in 1 Corinthians 12-14. Most this searching has come in the context of the Charismatic Renewal. Due to the Charismatic Renewal, Pentecostals and Charismatics can find an environment that is similar to his or her spiritual background. While there are problems inside this Renewal movement – just as there are problems in all lay movements – theological orthodoxy can be found in this context, enabling one to experience the best that Pentecostalism has to offer, and the Catholic Faith. 

Catechism Quote of the Month
“The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life. God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 261

The Trinity and Scripture.
By Mary Clare Piecynski
The word “Trinity” is found nowhere in the Bible yet the truth of one God comprised of three Divine Persons is a central tenant of the Christian faith. Though Scriptures never uses the specific word Trinity we will examine the Biblical grounds for belief in the Triune God. Stories in the Old Testament often allude to the Trinity while giving New Testament passages material to build upon to elaborate on the Trinitarian mystery. Instances such as the creation account, Abraham’s visitors and the pillar of cloud and fire give Old Testament witness to God gradually unfolding the wonder of the Trinity. At the same time, the New Testament in places such as the beginning of John’s Gospel, the Annunciation and Jesus’ Baptism reveal more clearly the true meaning of Old Testament stories while pointing Christians to understand more fully the incredible workings of the Trinity.
The creation account gives a strong Scriptural foundation for belief in the Trinity. A verse in Genesis says, “Let us make man to our image and likeness…And God created man to his own image” (Genesis 1:26-27) alluding to the Trinity of persons but the unity of the one God. For when God uses the plural pronoun “us” and then switches to the statement that man was made in the image, not images, of God, “there must have been the intent to intimate, in this manner, some great fact, in connection with the divine nature” (McGloin, The Mystery of the Holy Trinity in Oldest Judaism, 115). Now, this verse alludes to the Trinity because if there were only one Person in God then there would be no reason for God to refer to Himself as “us.” Furthermore, God could not be speaking to other beings in existence such as angels because they then would be on the same level as God, being co-creators, which is a power belonging to God alone (St Hilary, The Trinity 106-7). Therefore, God is using the word “us” to represent a plurality in Persons within the Godhead because no creature can create out of nothing. St. Augustine comments on this passage stating, “man has been made image of the Trinity, because it was not said ‘to my’ or ‘to your’ image” (St. Augustine, On the Trinity, 446-7). In addition, St Hilary of Poitiers remarks that this verse in Genesis shows how God “does not live by Himself and that one is not different from the other, while we know that both of them possess the property of the one nature, because He says ‘our image’ and not ‘our images’” (St Hilary, The Trinity, 108). In conclusion, when God speaks of Himself in a plural sense but then makes man to His image, not images, He indicates the plurality of persons but yet the unity of the one God.
Furthermore, the creation story does not merely indicate multiple Persons in God, but also refers specifically to the creative work of the Son in the world’s formation. Throughout the creation narrative, God is recorded as first speaking and then bringing forth creation. For example, a verse in Genesis reads, “and God said, let there be light.” Since God can create simply by exercising His will, God mentioned as speaking and then creating must have great significance. In fact, many scholars believe that the Word, the Second Person of the Trinity, created the universe. Because Genesis relates that God created the world through speech, this “suggests that God by His Word [Christ] made the universe” (McGloin, The Mystery of the Holy Trinity in Oldest Judaism, 106). St. Hilary explains that the phraseology of God saying let something be made and then it being made, expresses that it was “the Son of God, through whom all things were made” (St. Hillary, The Trinity, 106). To conclude, since God speaks before taking creative action, He clearly wants humanity to see and appreciate the Son’s creative action in the formation of the world.
The New Testament reaffirms the passage in Genesis that refers to Christ as the primary instrument through whom the world was created and that the primary purpose of the world’s creation was Christ’s Church. The first verse in St. John says, “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1). This passage of Scripture tells first that Jesus is eternally God, but at the same time only part of the Godhead and that through this Word, the Logos, all things came into existence. This verse is crucial to understanding creation and it helps explain why God speaks in order to create. God, through these inspired words, reaffirms that it was the Word, Jesus Christ, who created the world. The Catechism teaches, “the New Testament reveals that God created everything by the eternal Word, his beloved Son” (CCC 291). Furthermore, St. Paul writes, “for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…He is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church.” (Col 1:16-17) This verse shows that “Christ is not only the source of the unity of the creation but the head of the church as well. The goal of God’s work in creation is thus Christ and the church. Creation finds its fulfillment when all men and women are incorporated into Christ and into his Church” (O’Donnell, The Mystery of the Triune God,161). Thus, the reason for Christ creating the world is only seen in the fullest sense after looking to the Catholic Church. Finally, the New Testament gives clear witness to the Son’s creative power in the makings of the world and how the goal of creation is only accomplished through the Catholic Church.
In addition to referring to the Word’s role in the creation of the world, the creation account also refers to the Holy Spirit and His function in the beginnings of time. Genesis relates “and the Spirit of God moved over the waters” (Genesis 1:2). The use of the term “Spirit of God,” instead of simply “God,” suggests a separate person in the Trinity who has a distinct role. The Catechism confirms, “the Holy Spirit is at work with the Father and the Son from the beginning to the completion of the plan for our salvation” (CCC 686). Some claim that the Spirit of God was not a distinct Person of the Trinity, but merely a great wind blowing over the waters. This accusation is improbable, however, since it would be a “passage relative to a mere created thing, sandwiched in as it were, between two passages that deal solely with acts of the Almighty Maker of the Universe” (McGloin, The Mystery of the Holy Trinity in Oldest Judaism, 49). Furthermore, the preposition ‘of,’ in the phrase, ‘the Spirit of God’ is significant for “it makes of this term, as it were a partitive, showing ‘the Spirit of God’ as one only of the three Divine Persons, in the Unity of God” (McGloin, The Mystery of the Holy Trinity in Oldest Judaism, 173). In addition, the word for “moved” means something like a eagle or a dove “hovering or fluttering over her young” (McGloin, The Mystery of the Holy Trinity in Oldest Judaism, 49). This fact substantiates the argument for the Spirit of God being a Person of the Trinity since when the New Testament reveals the Holy Spirit more succinctly He is often pictured as a bird, specifically a dove hovering over the scene. Lastly, the Spirit of God hovering over the waters of creation anticipates the clearer revelation later in the Bible of the Holy Spirit’s work in the world.
The New Testament, especially at Christ’s Baptism and Pentecost, uses Old Testament precedence when speaking of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes “like the rush of a mighty wind” (Acts 2:2) referring to the Holy Spirit’s wind in the creation account. Furthermore, the New Testament often pictures the Holy Spirit as hovering over the scene, reminiscent of when the Spirit of God hovered over the primordial waters. For example, at the Baptism of Jesus, the Trinity is present with the Holy Spirit specifically pictured as a dove hovering over Christ (Luke 3:22). In conclusion, the New Testament builds upon the foundation made in the Old Testament to teach of the Holy Spirit’s role.
Later in the Old Testament, Abraham’s visit by three men telling of his son Isaac’s birth is another veiled disclosure of the Trinity. Abraham greets his visitors and welcomes them all, but adores only one of his three visitors, confessing that He is the Lord (Genesis 18:2-15). The three persons represent the Trinity of persons but Abraham’s adoration of the one show the unity of the one God to be worshiped. Abraham was able to see the sublime mystery of the Trinity because he “believed better than we do, although he had not yet been taught whereas we have. No one had then as yet falsified the foreshadowing of the truth, hence Abraham saw three persons and yet adored One” (Arenzen, The Holy Trinity, 38). Furthermore, this miraculous birth of a child through the influence of three supernatural individuals is a figure of the Incarnation when a virgin conceived the Son of God by the mysterious workings of the Trinity. In conclusion, three individuals appeared to the Abraham and through their power a child was born, this prefigures the awesome miracle the Trinity performs in the Incarnation.
While Abraham’s visitors allude to the Trinity, the Annunciation reveals more succinctly the roles of the Trinity in the miraculous birth of a child. The verse in Luke says, “the Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the most high will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). This verse mentions all three Persons of the Trinity, each with a distinct function. The Father is the one called the “most high” which is the normal term for the God of Israel (Arenzen, The Holy Trinity, 40-41). The Holy Spirit is the one to come upon Mary and Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, is to become a child, while remaining the Son of God. The Catechism teaches, “The Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life, is sent to sanctify the womb of the Virgin Mary…causing her to conceive the eternal Son of the Father in a humanity drawn from her own” (CCC 485). St. Hilary explains the crucial role of the Father and Son at the Incarnation. This Father of the Church states, “The Holy Spirit, coming from above, has sanctified the Virgin’s womb…[and] the power of the Most High overshadowed the Virgin…in order that the overshadowing of the divine power might prepare her bodily substance for the procreative activity of the Spirit who enters into her” (St. Hilary, The Trinity, 56). In summary, the Annunciation narrative clearly proclaims the combined action of the Trinity in the Word of God becoming Incarnate.
The pillar of cloud and fire in the crossing of the Red Sea is another veiled appearance of the Second and Third Persons of the Trinity. The pillar of cloud and fire represents respectively the guidance of the Holy Spirit and Christ, the light of the world. St Ambrose says, “the pillar of cloud is the Holy Spirit” (Danielou, The Bible and the Liturgy, 92). The column of fire also represents Christ, for He Himself says, “He who follows Me does not walk in the darkness, I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). St. Ambrose explains, “what is the pillar of light, but Christ the Lord, Who has scattered the darkness of paganism and has spread the light of truth and of spiritual grace in the heart of men” (Danielou, The Bible and the Liturgy, 93). Finally, the pillar of cloud and fire show the role Christ and the Spirit played in the exodus of the chosen people.
The cloud and pillar of fire representing the Son and Spirit in the crossing of the Red Sea, is also a figure of Christ’s Baptism, when the Trinity reveals itself clearly. St. Paul explains the connection between the crossing of the Red Sea and Baptism in his words, “all in Moses were baptized, in the cloud, and the sea” (1 Corinthians 10:1). St Ambrose comments on the crossing of the Red Sea saying, “the figure of Baptism is clearly shown…by the Holy Spirit and by the water” (Danielou, The Bible and the Liturgy, 92). Furthermore, “the presence of the cloud, accompanying the crossing of the sea in the narrative of the Exodus, also prefigures the union of water and the Holy Spirit, as the elements of Baptism” (Danielou, The Bible and the Liturgy, 91). In addition, because Christ is the light of the world, God uses the pillar of fire to demonstrate that “the Word, prefigured by the pillar of fire, shows that Baptism is illumination” (Danielou, The Bible and the Liturgy, 93). In summary, the combination of the pillar of cloud and fire in the crossing of the Red Sea together symbolize Baptism, which is a manifestation of the Trinity.
While the crossing of the Red Sea, being a type of Baptism, alluded to the Trinity, the Triune God reveals Himself even more succinctly at the baptism of Christ. The three Persons are physically present in this scene, with God the Father’s voice saying “this is my beloved Son” (Mt 3:13-17) with Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity standing in the water while the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove. St. Augustine affirms that at Christ’s baptism “there appeared…that holy and true Trinity which is to us one God…the Trinity appears very clearly: the Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Spirit in the dove” (St. Augustine, On St. John, 133). Simply put, Jesus’ baptism explicitly manifested what God alluded to throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament. This baptismal scene clearly shows the distinction between the Godhead while maintaining their unity through the Voice calling Jesus His Son. In conclusion, Christ’s baptism shows in a powerful way God’s gradually unfolding plan to bring all men into the light of the truth.
Man can never truly comprehend the marvel of the Trinity, but the words of Scripture help unravel this mystery. From the foundation of the world to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Trinity is ever at work to complete the work of creation. In the beginning, the Trinitarian work was only a whisper, which only the most attentive ear could catch, but throughout time, God continues to use the Scriptures to bring man into clearer knowledge about the very relationship of the Omnipotent Godhead. While the term “Trinity” is found nowhere in the Bible, the doctrine is present continually in the sacred text and explained with great detail especially in the New Testament. Finally, the Trinitarian God is a mystery but allows Himself to be glimpsed and partially understood through Biblical revelation.
Bibliography:
St. Augustine The Trinity vol 45 Fathers of the Church: Translator: Stephen McKenna
St Augustine Tractates on the Gospel of John 1-10. vol 78 Fathers of the Church. Translator: J. W. Rettig Washington DC: Catholic university of America Press, 1988
St. Augustine, On the Psalms I Vol I Scholastica Hebgin and Felicitas Corrigan, translators; Johannes Quasten, Walter J. Burghardt, ed. Westminster, The Newman Press, 1960,
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Washington DC: United States Catholic Conference,1997.
St. Ephrem the Syrian. Selected Prose Works. vol 91 Fathers of the Church: Translator: E. G. Mathews Jr and St. Frank McGloin The Mystery of the Holy Trinity in Oldest Judaism Philadelphia: John Joseph Mcvey, 1916
Hilary of Poitiers. The Trinity. vol 25 Fathers of the Church Translator: S McKenna New York: Fathers of the Church Inc, 1954
J.P Arendzen The Holy Trinity New York: Sheed & Ward, 1937
Jean Danielou The Bible and the Liturgy Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1966
Joseph P. Amar, editor: Kathleen McVey. Washington DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1994
John. J O’Donnell The Mystery of the Triune God Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1989

Pope Quote of the Month
“God is not solitude, but perfect communion. For this reason the human person, the image of God, realizes himself or herself in love, which is a sincere gift of self.
Benedict XVI, Angelus, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Sunday, 22 May 2005.

Did you know?
The Catholic Church does not consider Mormon baptism to be valid because Mormons do not believe in the Trinity. For more info go here.

Book of the Month
First Comes Love
By Scott Hahn
In First Comes Love, Hahn turns his attention to the search for a sense of belonging, revealing the intimate connection between the families men and women create on earth and the divine family, the Holy Trinity.

First Comes Love is available online at www.chresources.com for $19.95.

Devotion of the Month
Taken from http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/trinity_thanks.htm

Prayer of thanksgiving to the Trinity by St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), Doctor of the Church
O Eternal God! O Eternal Trinity! Through the union of Thy divine nature Thou hast made so precious the Blood of Thine only-begotten Son! O eternal Trinity, Thou art as deep a mystery as the sea, in whom the more I seek, the more I find; and the more I find, the more I seek. For even immersed in the depths of Thee, my soul is never satisfied, always famished and hungering for Thee, eternal Trinity, wishing and desiring to see Thee, the True Light.
O eternal Trinity, with the light of understanding I have tasted and seen the depths of Thy mystery and the beauty of Thy creation. In seeing myself in Thee, I have seen that I will become like Thee. O eternal Father, from Thy power and Thy wisdom clearly Thou hast given to me a share of that wisdom which belongs to Thine Only-begotten Son. And truly hast the Holy Spirit, who procedeth from Thee, Father and Son, given to me the desire to love Thee.
O eternal Trinity, Thou art my maker and I am Thy creation. Illuminated by Thee, I have learned that Thou hast made me a new creation through the Blood of Thine Only-begotten Son because Thou art captivated by love at the beauty of Thy creation.
O eternal Trinity, O Divinity, O unfathomable abyss, O deepest sea, what greater gift could Thou givest me then Thy very Self? Thou art a fire that burns eternally yet never consumed, a fire that consumes with Thy heat my self-love. Again and again Thou art the fire who taketh away all cold heartedness and illuminateth the mind by Thy light, the light with which Thou hast made me to know Thy truth.
By this mirrored light I know Thou are the highest good, a good above all good, a fortunate good, an incomprehensible good, an unmeasurable good, a beauty above all beauty, a wisdom above all wisdom, for Thou art wisdom itself, the the food of angels, the fire of love that Thou givest to man.
Thou art the garment covering our nakedness. Thou feedest our family with Thy sweetness, a sweetness Thou art from which there is no trace of bitterness. O Eternal Trinity! Amen.

A Trinity Prayer Love of Jesus Fill us. Holy Spirit Guide us. Will of the Father be done.